Notre Dame Sails, Garners League Title

Notre Dame High used four Chris Sailer field goals and two Troy Garner interception returns for touchdowns to blow Chaminade off the field Friday night and capture the Mission League championship.

The 41-8 victory was never in doubt and left the Knights milling in front of a packed grandstand, their index fingers held aloft for all to see.

Notre Dame clinched the title by rarely allowing Chaminade tailback Jason Giovannettone to turn the corner on pitch plays and by preying on Eagle quarterback Tom Racius.

“We were playing a 4-3 set and forcing everything inside,” said Garner, who had three interceptions, returning two of them for scores of 96 and 27 yards. “We got a great pass rush and I was looking for a few picks.”

Notre Dame received Sailer field goals of 48, 43 and 27 yards on three of its first four drives and led, 9-0, early in the second quarter.

It could have been more, but Garner fumbled on the Chaminade 10-yard line after rambling 32 yards on a reverse. Chaminade’s Dino Dinielli recovered but the Eagles’ could move only 12 yards in six plays before Garner intercepted a pass by Racius, setting up Sailer’s second field goal.

With two minutes to play in the half, Notre Dame put the game away when Robbie Brewster caught a 48-yard touchdown from Ryan Bowne. Bowne connected with Garner for the conversion.

Chaminade then mounted an 11-play drive that ended at the Knights’ nine when Garner picked off a Racius pass in the flat and sprinted 96 yards for a touchdown. Sailer’s conversion gave Notre Dame a 24-0 halftime lead.

Bowne completed 10 of 15 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown. Tailback John Garcia gained 60 yards in 16 carries.

Racius completed 11 of 26 passes for 90 yards.

Giovannettone ran for 133 yards in 10 carries and scored the Eagles’ lone touchdown late in the game on a 61-yard burst against Notre Dame’s second-string defense.